


Cold Shoulder

by Colourful_skies



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Angst, Banter kinda, Bittersweet Ending, Edward Elric Swears, Hurt No Comfort, I'm sorry my muse was angsty today, Ineffective Communication, M/M, More bitter but lil sliver of hope, Passing mention of bigotry, Pre-Relationship, Threat of Violence (not between protags), argument, post-fmab
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:28:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28223181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Colourful_skies/pseuds/Colourful_skies
Summary: Something is wrong with Roy Mustang.Why’s the bastard acting so distant? Ed storms into his office to find out. Can he cut to the core of the problem, or will he fracture their already fragile connection?“Don’t you dare patronize me and tell me it’s for my own good.”
Relationships: Edward Elric/Roy Mustang
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48
Collections: Roy/Ed Week 2020





	Cold Shoulder

**Author's Note:**

> My muse heard “cold” (day 5) and cut straight to emotional coldness – sorry.
> 
> My go-to style is fluff, so check the tags and be aware that this is very much not that.  
> This scene is set several years after FMAB canon; Ed's a successful researcher associated with the military.

Something is wrong with Roy Mustang.

Ed’s sensed it for a while now. Months, if he’s being honest.

He could tactfully ignore the feeling, or perhaps send a thoughtful note… but _come on_. That’s not how Ed rolls.

On Tuesday, he strides into Roy’s office and leans heavily against the doorframe.

“Roy. Talk to me.”

Roy jumps. He swivels his chair to face the door. “Fullmetal – I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Of course you didn’t,” sighs Ed. “because you’ve been givin’ me the cold shoulder. I want to know why.” He steps into the office. “And for the last time, _Ed_ ’s fine. ‘Twenty-percent-metal’ doesn’t have the same ring to it.”

“Sorry, old habits.” Roy tents his fingers. “I haven’t been giving you the ‘cold shoulder’, Ed. We don’t work together anymore. We haven’t for several years.”

“Well, obviously.” Ed shoves his hands in his pockets. “But we used to catch up all the time. We used to be _friends_.” His voice shakes a little at this last part, for some reason. He hates it.

Roy blinks, looking less self-assured than Ed has seen him for years. “We’re friends,” he says. His tone floats in an unconvincing wave. “Why wouldn’t we be?”

“You tell me.” Ed glares. “You stop calling _and_ answering your phone, what, the week I transfer back to Central? I say ‘hey’ in the halls and you keep walking.” He drops into the guest chair and puts his elbows on the desk. “The way I figure, I did something to offend you, or you need glasses, or something is seriously wrong.”

Roy’s fingernails must be fascinating, the way he’s staring at them. Ed wills him to look up, but it doesn’t fucking work. “I heard you broke up with Armstrong’s nephew.”

“Yeah, and?”

“And nothing. I just thought… maybe you needed space.”

Ed raises his eyebrow. “You stopped saying good morning because I ‘needed space’?”

“It’s just, it’s just different, Ed. Professional boundaries. You’re here in town now, and if I tell you about a colleague or friend who’s stressing me out, you’re just as likely to see them the next day.” It sounds like Roy’s the one who needs space. Ed can’t follow his reasoning.

He shrugs. “Then don’t tell me those things. We go back to talking about, I don’t know, Elicia. The weather. Funny shit.”

“Maybe.”

Something clicks in Ed’s mind. “This isn’t about that party last year, is it?”

Roy’s mouth is a straight line. Ed’s stomach plunges. Damn.

Why is this coming up now? They’d chatted plenty since then; surely bigotry didn’t have a delayed onset?

“I told you,” fumed Ed. “It was dumb. I asked you out on a whim, you said no, I stopped caring. End of. Misjudging somethin’ like that’s fucking awkward, and I really am sorry. I told you, though, it’s no big deal. Drop it… please.” He won’t beg, he won’t…

But of _course_ the bastard has to dismiss him. “You don’t need to –”

“Don’t I? Because it’s pretty damn awkward when I’m bringing in a guest researcher and General Mustang passing by won’t even _look_ at me. I’m gonna have to start playing tour guide – ‘and now look to our left, what a lovely window – just look anywhere but the thundercloud _known for smiling at every other person on the planet’_.”

Colour rises to Roy’s cheeks. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you, Ed. My apologies.”

“What _did_ you mean to do?”

Roy’s voice was small. “Maybe – Maybe you’d think I was leading you on, if I kept talking with you so much. Others might make assumptions.”

This was the wrong thing to say. Ed rises to his full (very impressive) height.

“We’ve been calling each other for years now, as equals. For _hours_. I trusted you with shit I haven’t told anyone but Al.” Ed considers the map on Roy’s wall, mentally overlaying his research trips. All those memories of starlit calls on the road feel bitter on his tongue. “Could that have been interpreted romantically? I dunno. Maybe, maybe not, but you told me no, so that’s that. Don’t you trust me?” He swallowed, less fiery now. “After all this time, isn’t it so fucking obvious that I’ll listen to you?”

Roy doesn’t answer. “We work in the same building again, Ed. Appearances matter.”

“Workplace discrimination is illegal. You put the legislation through yourself.” Ed glowered. “If you’re not interested, a ‘no’ will suffice. Don’t coddle me.”

“People draw conclusions, and they talk. A whiff of scandal could influence your opportunities or make you a target for unsavoury behaviour.”

“I don’t care about that shit and you know it. But don’t you _dare_ patronize me and tell me it’s for my own good. If being cozy with ‘Fullmetal’ hurts your career path, or if _I_ need to change something, you can tell it to me straight.”

Roy shakes his head but doesn’t speak. His face is a stone fortress. Ed was once certain that he could never be lonely in Roy’s company, but now he feels indescribably stupid.

“I just don’t get it. We were chill. Why are you throwing this away?” Throwing _Ed_ away, more like. Holy Xerxes, he needs to leave before he says too much.

“Because I have to,” Roy snaps. Not even denying it.

Roy’s eyes burn bright, then he sighs and tempers his voice. “It’s not your fault, but we’re not close anymore, and you’re too damn stubborn to take a hint. There is no _we_.”

“Oh.” _Breathe._ Ed’s eyes prickle irrationally and his mind whirls. Roy is a surprise black hole in the middle of a Tootsie Roll. Instead of tasting chocolate, Ed’s been frozen, struck dead, pulled taut.

“I’m sorry, Ed. Please just… leave me alone.” Roy can’t look at him now. Can’t even give that small dignity. “I was glad to hear your research is going well.”

Is that really all they were, now? Colleagues making stilted small talk every three months? “Thanks” dies in his throat.

“ _Fuck you_ ,” said Ed. “You’re more of a bastard than I thought.”

* * *

Roy sits alone for a few minutes after his fireball stormed out of the room. His thoughts fling themselves at him in disarray. His brain feels crowded; he can’t breathe.

“Riza?”

She enters. “Sir?”

“What is the status on Covert Security Team A?”

“Still guarding the Elric residence, as per your instructions.” She gets a better look at his face. “Roy, are you all right?”

“I’m fine. And the Blood Alchemist? Any updates?”

“No.” Her lips pull taut, as if holding back a question. Roy knows she hates secrets between them, but some cannot be helped. “Our best officers are on it, as requested. It’s been three months; we’ll get him soon.”

Roy tries to soften his expression. “Thank you, Riza.”

She nods and leaves him, shutting the door.

He leans over to open the hidden drawer in his desk, pulling out a note.

“ _Stand down, Mustang. If you cross me, I will discover who you love the most and kill them in a deliciously horrible way. – The Blood Alchemist_ ”

Not much longer now.

Roy puts his head down and lets himself be wracked by silent sobs.


End file.
